Monday, April 07, 2008

This picture was taken Saturday, and I'm about six or seven inches of ribbing down the body from this point now. I determined based on my knitting and body styles that minor modifications to the pattern would be necessary: I'm knitting the smallest size and have added bust darts to compensate for the girls (I always have to knit larger sizes so I don't end up with ridiculous sweater kittens, but then the rest of the top will fit me more loosely than I like - so this time I'm using my head and knitting a small size that will fit overall, while adding consideration for my bust size.) I also started the ribbing much sooner than called for, so it begins directly beneath the bust line, rather than at the natural waist. I think it'll do my figure more favours that way.

The yarn, Mirasol Sulka, is gorgeous, soft...and hairy. So hairy that if I were to wear this over a white collared shirt, you wouldn't be able to tell a difference when I took the sweater off because it leaves behind so much fluff. Fortunately, it's very receptive to a lint roller, so I'm not too concerned. (I do think it may pill like a mother though. Time will tell.) I love the heathered look of it - a beautiful dark mahogany colour with strands of multi throughout, mostly red and yellow shades, which I assume is in the silk content.

I was hoping I could even have this sweater started and finished within a week, but I didn't take the bus to work today so I think I lost too much knitting time there to make up. Still, I bet I can have it done by the weekend, latest - a sweater in ten or eleven days would be nothing to sneeze at.

(Yay I'm awesome! I CAN knit a sweater! I CAN!!!)

New Hot Blog Alert: A very good friend of mine has started a new blog-with-a-focus, and I'm pretty excited about it. If you're a vegetarian, broke, lazy, or any of the three, you may want to add it to your blog subscriptions - she's going to be covering topics and recipes of interest to those of us who are short on cash and spare time or the inclination to spend it in the kitchen. The blog is called A Lazy Vegetarian on a Budget - hey, that's me! I'm one of those! - and I'm already planning to try out the first recipe she's posted.

Awesome shop alert: I ordered a TON of supplies for the dye studio last week - my purchase order was three full pages - from Earth Guild in Asheville, North Carolina. I've shopped there in person many times when visiting my parents, but now I'm just stunned at their service - in a good way. I placed the order by phone on Tuesday around lunchtime. They had it packed up by early afternoon - again, three pages of order - and it was on the porch when I got home Thursday. TWO DAYS. (And some of my dyes were backordered, so they'll send those along with free shipping when they are available.) Plus they offer both volume AND cost-based discounts, so I got one discount for ordering so much stuff and another additional discount for the amount I spent. And the shipping was cheap. I'm officially a devotee. They carry all kinds of stuff - not just supplies for dyers, but all kinds of yarns and fibers and books and goodies - big fat recommend.

Okay, I'm putting this off. It's confession time: We seem to have acquired another cat. Uhhh...whoops. I found this pretty little girl sitting in our tree, mewing for help. I climbed the ladder (it was the treehouse tree) and she hopped right into my arms. I fed her and gave her some water, and she was just the sweetest, most loving thing. She hasn't budged from our porch and laundry room for two days. I'd already decided it was our responsibility to take care of her for the time being (she won't be allowed into the main house with everyone else for a while, at least - I need to take her to the vet first.) Then Travis walked in, took one look at her and groaned.

"You do realize she's pregnant, right?"

Oh. Wow. You know, I thought she seemed to have a really tiny head in proportion with her body.

Anybody want a kitten? :-D

You still have until tomorrow night to email for an entry to the contest. More entries = more winners. Give it a shot! (Contest prizes not likely to include kittens.)